IN THE LAW of the meat offering, one of its most marked features was that it was to be eaten by “Aaron and his sons” — type of Christ and His own — unlike the burnt offering, no part of which was to be eaten but all went up to God as a sweet savor.
The law of the meal offering follows immediately after that of the burnt offering, for in offering the burnt offering, a meal offering was added. The meal offering tells in its own blessed way of the perfectness of the life of the Lord Jesus on earth, all pure and in the power of the Holy Spirit. He was tried in every conceivable way, but the fire only brought out His matchless fragrance, an offering to God for a sweet savor of rest. How precious to God His Father, must have been the life of the Lord Jesus, His beloved Son, in a world where He has been so dishonored by man’s sin and rebellion.
Only a handful of the flour, and some of the oil, but all the frankincense, was burnt upon the altar, as a sweet savor unto the Lord, for all the savor of the Lord’s life was to God. He did not live to please men, He sought not their praise, but sought His Father’s glory throughout. He could say to His parents when He was but a child, just twelve years old, “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?” Again He told His disciples “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work"; and still again He could say, “I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:2929And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. (John 8:29)).
“The remainder thereof Aaron and His sons shall eat,” v. 16, and they were to eat it “in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle.” For us this would be in the Lord’s own presence. The more we make our own, or enter into His presence, by His work of redemption on the cross, the more we shall enjoy Him as the food of our souls. He is the living bread, the bread of God, which came down from heaven, the One of whom the Father could say, “This is My beloved Son in whom is all My delight.” What a privilege to feed on Him thus given of God as our portion of His offerings.
Just as there was a perpetual burnt offering every morning and evening, so there was a perpetual meat offering. It was “most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.” “With unleavened bread shall it be eaten.” The Word declares of the Lord Jesus that not only in Him was no sin, but that He knew no sin. What a contrast with every other man! Though He was despised and rejected of men, nevertheless there was not a single flaw in Him they could point to. Because of all that He is and through His perfect atonement all now is changed for the believer. It says of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, “every one that toucheth them shall be holy” — all that came into contact with them were separated unto the Lord.
ML-09/05/1971